approximately

adverb

ap·​prox·​i·​mate·​ly ə-ˈpräk-sə-mət-lē 

: in an approximate manner

an event in ancient history that can only be approximately dated

—used to indicate that a stated number, amount, or value is an approximation

Approximately [=around, about] 2,000 people attended the rally.

arrived at approximately 11:30 in the morning

During a lifetime, a person will take approximately 500 million breaths.

—Arthur S. Slutsky, M.D., et al.

Synonyms

• about
• around
• like
• more or less
• much
• near
• plus or minus
• roughly
• say
• some

Examples of approximately in a Sentence

it takes approximately three hours to drive to Dallas

Recent Examples on the Web

The development is strategically positioned at Godrej City, a self-sustaining township spread across approximately 145 acres, featuring a 30-acre, 9-hole golf course. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 May 2025

The incident took place at approximately 9:45 a.m. at Wallens Ridge State Prison in Wise County. —Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025

The 2024 Met Gala raised approximately $26 million, according to The New York Times and The Associated Press. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 May 2025

The Cessna 172 aircraft was meant to land at the nearby Santa Monica Airport, but instead had a bumpy landing on the golf course of the Riviera Country Club approximately 6 miles north. —Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 3 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for approximately

• proximately

Kids Definition

approximately

adverb

ap·​prox·​i·​mate·​ly

-mət-lē

: reasonably close to

approximately 5 miles

at approximately six o'clock